The overall purpose of this program is the training of new scientists capable of performing high quality biomedical research in the areas of diabetes, metabolism and insulin and growth factor action. The program is centered within the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the Department of Medicine and includes 17 faculty participants. The faculty represent a range of interests, skills and approaches, ranging from basic research to clinical investigation, all converging on the common themes of diabetes, metabolism and signal transduction. The proposed program will provide training opportunities at the postdoctoral level in either basic or clinical research. The disciplines range from clinical diabetes, to clinical research, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and animal physiology. The program will include: (1) intensive laboratory and/or clinical research training, (2) seminars and other conferences, and (3) formal course instruction. The primary focus on the training program is the research undertaken by each trainee in association with a member of the training grant faculty. Under close supervision by the faculty member, the trainee will be encouraged, and expected, to assume an increasingly independent scientific role in all aspects of the research. In addition, the training program will foster and encourage a scholarly exchange of ideas and intellectual cross fertilization. Weekly seminars are held where ongoing research is presented for discussion by the group as a whole. Another weekly meeting is devoted to discussions by training grant faculty and trainees of recent scientific advances. In part, this conference functions as a Journal Club. Finally, all trainees are required to take 4 quarters of formal course work, including a required course entitled "Biomedical Research Ethics" offered through the School of Medicine. Thus, this training program expands and brings together various activities encompassing the training and education of postdoctoral fellows in the fields of diabetes, metabolism and signal transduction at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.